Wash Post Editorial: Congress Needs to Extend Unemployment Benefits

As temperatures have dropped in Washington, the heat is rising for Republicans who continue to oppose extending emergency unemployment insurance. Today’s call for action comes from the Washington Post, which also notes that an extension of UI should be followed immediately by a serious, bipartisan effort to create jobs and promote economic growth:

“With surprising support of six Republicans, the Senate on Tuesday mustered the 60 votes necessary to proceed on extending emergency unemployment benefits for an additional three months, at a cost of $6.5 billion. This is good news for the 1.3 million unemployed workers who have been laid off so long that they have exhausted their unemployment insurance. It is also good news for another roughly 1.9 million at risk of exhausting their benefits later this year.. …Ultimately, the best answer to long-term joblessness is restoring rapid economic growth, a subject to which Congress must turn as soon as the unemployment benefits fight is over.”

Obviously Democrats agree, which is why we’ve continued to push for consideration of Make It In America legislation for jobs and competitiveness. Especially on the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty, it’s outrageous that 1.4 million out-of-work Americans have been hurt by Republicans’ inaction – and that number will continue to grow until they allow action. It’s time the GOP-led Congress makes a real commitment to creating the jobs and opportunities that will make sure fewer people need this lifeline in the future.